Cartridge holder

ABSTRACT

A cartridge holder for mounting a replaceable cartridge in a fluid treatment system makes connection with the cartridge through a piston-mounted connecting member. The piston rides in a cylinder into which the fluid is passed under pressure; this pressure forces the connecting member against the cartridge.

United States Patent [1 1 Smith [4 1 Nov. 13, 1973 [54] CARTRIDGE HOLDER 3,064,819 11/1962 Jones 210/282 X 2 Inventor: Verity C. Smith, Dedham, Mass. 72337 9/1966 Elwen' 210/234 X [73] Assrgnee: \AZpomcs Incorporated, Plymouth, Primary Examiner samih N Zahama Assistant Examin erF. F Calvetti 1 Flled! 1973 Attorney-Kenway, Jenney and Hildreth 1211 Appl. N0.: 334,961

Related US. Application Data 5 A T [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 141,743, May 10, 1971, 7] BS RACT abandoned.

A cartridge holder for mounting a replaceable car- 521 US. Cl 210/232, 210/282, 210/287, "l fllfid treatment sysftem makes 2l0/352 210/446 with the cartrldge through a piston-mounted connect- [51] Int CL 6 d 27/02 ing member. The piston rides in a cylinder into which [58] Field 282 287 the fluid is passed under pressure; this pressure forces 21O/234: the connecting member against the cartridge.

5 R f r Cited 1 Claim, 1 Drawing Figure I CARTRIDGE HOLDER This is a continuation, of application Ser. No. l4l,743 Filed May 10, 1971, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND pressurized connection between the holder and the cartridge.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION The cartridge holder of this invention is designed to make connection to axial aligned inlet and outlet ports of the cartridge. A connection member which is movable in the axial direction comprises a tubular conduit that connects with one of the ports and a piston mounting said conduit that rides within a cylinder through which the fluid to be treated passes under pressure. The cross sectional area of the piston is larger than that of the conduit, such that there is a net force developed by the fluid pressure urging the piston and conduit toward and into contact with the cartridge.

THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The preferred embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in front elevation and partly cut away to reveal structural details in cross section.

The holder consists in general of a cartridge housing 10 which connects at its lower end with a base member 12 and at its top with an outlet assembly 14. The housing 10 is preferably an extruded channel which serves not only to enclose the cartridge 20 but also to hold the outlet assembly 14 and base member 12 in assembled relation and in proper alignment for receiving the cartridge 20. I

The cartridge 20 is shown as a generally cylindrical casing having an inlet cap 22 at its lower end and an outlet cap 24 at its upper end. Each of these caps is formed with a central axially aligned cylindrical port traversed at its inner end by a transverse grid 21 or 23. These caps 22 and 24 provide the connections for introducing and withdrawing the fluid to be treated and retain the material, e.g., ion exchange resin, within the cartridge.

The cartridge 20 isretained in the holder by an outlet connection conduit 26 which connects with the outlet cap 24 and an inlet connection conduit 28 that connects with the inlet cap 22. Each of these conduits 26 and 28 are generally cylindrical exteriorly and are preferably formed with annular grooves 30 and 32 which retain rings 34 and 36. The outlet connection conduit 26 is formed as part of the top assembly 14 and projects downwardly from its bottom side and communicates with the outlet pipe 38. A purity meter, indicated generally by 40, may be provided in the outlet assembly to register the quality of the treated fluid.

The inlet connection conduit 28 is reciprocal within the base member 12 such as to permit separation of the cartridge from the holder through withdrawal of the inlet and outlet connection conduits 26 and 28 from the inlet and outlet caps 22 and 24. The inlet connection conduit 28 is further constructed so as to exert upward pressure against the cartridge under the line pressure of the fluid to be treated. The inlet connection conduit 28 terminates at its lower end in a piston 42 of outside diameter larger than that of the conduit 28 and leads into an inlet cylinder 44 in which the piston 42 is mounted. In the illustratedembodiment the piston 42 is provided with an annular groove 45 which carries an O-ring 46. The fluid to be treated enters the inlet piston 44 through an inlet pipe 48 such that the volume contained by the cylinder 44 and piston 42 is under inlet line pressure. Also a coil spring 44 co-operates between the piston 42 and the bottom of the cylinder so as to urge the inlet connection conduit upwardly when there is no line pressure.

In the assembly illustrated the inlet piston is retained in the base member 12. Side walls 52 support a bottom wall 53 and a cover plate 54 and the inlet cylinder 44 is supported between these with its upper end retained in a gasket ring 55 mounted in the cover plate 54.

i From the foregoing it will be seen that a cartridge 20 may be inserted or removed by forcing the inlet connection conduit 28 downwardly against the pressure of the spring 50 until the outlet cap 24 clears the outlet connection conduit 26. The cartridge 20 may then be swung outwardly clear of the outlet assembly 14 and lifted off of the inlet connection conduit 28. Inserting a cartridge 20 involves only the reverse procedure, first the connection of the inlet cap 22 to the inlet connection conduit 28, the depression of the latter to the point where the outlet cap 24 may be swung into engagement with the outlet connection conduit 26.

In the cartridge holder of this invention, the inlet and outlet connection conduits 26 and 28 engage the inlet and outlet caps 22 and 24 under a pressure determined, at least in part, by the line pressure of the fluid to be treated. This pressure, in terms of pounds per square inch, appears at opposite ends of the inlet connection conduit 28. Inasmuch as the cross sectional area of the piston 42 is larger than that of the conduit 28 there is a net differential force proportional to the area difference urging the inlet connection conduit 28 upwardly against the cartridge 20. This force serves to counter balance the fluid pressure forces within the cartridge 20 that would tend to push the inlet and outlet caps 22 and 24 outwardly and possibly lead to there rupture.

Having thus described my invention and disclosed in detail its preferred embodiment, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A cartridge holder for a fluid treating cartridge having axially aligned inlet and outlet ports adapted to receive by axial insertion corresponding inlet and outlet connections, said holder comprising an outlet assembly leading from an outlet connection axially insertable into said outlet port and an inlet assembly spaced from said outlet assembly and leading to an inlet con nection axially insertable into said inlet port, said inlet connection including a tubular conduit adapted to insert into and mate with said inlet port and a piston supporting said conduit a cylinder retaining said piston for movement in axial alignment with said ports and an inlet pipe communicating with said cylinde and piston effectively to supply fluid pressure to said piston, the conduit cross sectional area of said inlet subject to fluid pressure at the inlet port being less than the cross sectional area of said piston subject to fluid pressure within said cylinder, whereby the fluid force on said piston cross sectional area exceeds the fluid force on said conduit cross sectional area. 

1. A cartridge holder for a fluid treating cartridge having axially aligned inlet and outlet ports adapted to receive by axial insertion corresponding inlet and outlet connections, said holder comprising an outlet assembly leading from an outlet connection axially insertable into said outlet port and an inlet assembly spaced from said outlet assembly and leading to an inlet connection axially insertable into said inlet port, said inlet connection including a tubular conduit adapted to insert into and mate with said inlet port and a piston supporting said conduit a cylinder retaining said piston for movement in axial alignment with said ports and an inlet pipe communicating with said cylinde and piston effectively to supply fluid pressure to said piston, the conduit cross sectional area of said inlet subject to fluid pressure at the inlet port being less than the cross sectional area of said piston subject to fluid pressure within said cylinder, whereby the fluid force on said piston cross sectional area exceeds the fluid force on said conduit cross sectional area. 